To the Regional Association of Local Budget Officers (RALBO) 12 headed by President Nelson Merculio; my colleagues from the DBM who are also joining us in today’s event, Undersecretary for Local Government and Regional Operations Wilford Will L. Wong, Regional XII Director Akmad Usman, and Assistant Director Libertine Cagang-Guanzon who made it on time, and employees from the DBM Regional Office 12; our local budget officers and public financial management practitioners; and our participants, magandang araw po.

Assalamu alaikum wa Raḥmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

First, I would like to thank RALBO 12 for inviting me to serve as your keynote speaker this morning. As a proud daughter of Mindanao, I am always happy to be back home and see my fellow Mindanaoans immersed in activities that enable them to learn more and better themselves in the service of the Filipino people.

And so, let me also thank everyone for being here today despite the amount of work you have to leave in your respective offices. Having traveled across different parts of the country to meet local budget officers like you, I know how challenging situations and circumstances can be at the local level, but you are still able to deliver. Kaya saludo po ako sa inyo.

I cannot emphasize enough how crucial your role is in bridging the needs of our fellow Filipinos and the responses of the government, especially in crafting a budget that is truly inclusive and people-centered. And, we hope that this session will assist and further capacitate you in doing such.

So today, you will be updated on the latest issuances of the Department concerning Local Government Units particularly on the eBudget system for LGUs; revision of the Budget Operations Manual; devolution of certain functions; and the guidelines on the release and utilization of the Local Government Support Fund.

As you participate in and listen to the presentations of my colleagues from the Department, please know that our efforts have been paying off. As I said during the DBM 87th Anniversary celebration last month, malayo na po ang ating narating pero mas malayo pa po ang ating mararating. Our inflation rate is continuously slowing down. Our government spending targets have been surpassed in March. Our real Gross Domestic Product or GDP was projected to be the highest in the ASEAN region this year. Forecasts by no less than the World Bank say that we will achieve above middle-income status in the next two years. Even the S&P Global Market Intelligence forecasted that the Philippines is on track to become a one trillion-dollar economy by 2033.

All of these are considerable achievements and I am confident that, with your usual support and dedication, we can maintain, if not transcend, the excellent work that we have already been doing.

On our end at the DBM, we commit to continue working hard, so that our efforts will reach even the farthest regions, including Region XII and BARMM. Beyond budget, we have been proactively engaging in efforts and mechanisms such as the Inter-Governmental Relations Body or the IGRB—which will also convene today for its 14th meeting—to set the path for BARMM’s continuous development in social, economic, and cultural aspects.

Rest assured that we will always be your partner not only in hoping for but also in working towards an accountable, inclusive, and responsive government—one which is felt even in the farthest regions or areas of Mindanao.

Maraming salamat po. Mabuhay ang RALBO at ang ating local budget officers at public financial management practitioners.

Wabillahi Tawfiq Wal Hidaya, Wasalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu.